Skidmore College is an academic community committed to learning and personal development.
The offices and programs in Student Affairs support, deepen, and extend the academic
program by providing cocurricular and residential programs that promote academic accomplishment,
citizenship, diversity, leadership, and personal responsibility.

The cocurricular and residential programs at Skidmore consider students to be adults
ready to take responsibility for their learning, the quality of their social environment,
and their daily life. We support your rights to privacy, freedom of inquiry and expression,
and your participation in College governance. We also expect you to meet high standards
for academic integrity and personal conduct.

Staff members in the offices and programs in Student Affairs work with students as
mentors, coaches, advisors, tutors, guides, and confidants. They help you assess your
academic and personal needs, point out opportunities, and facilitate your access to
those opportunities. They will work with you to foster a social environment conducive
to learning, and they will expect you to observe the Honor Code, the College Code
of Conduct, and other College policies and regulations. They will also hold you accountable
for any misconduct.

The first section of this Handbook discusses the Honor Code, the Student Code of Conduct,
and the College conduct process. It describes the College's expectations and your
obligations as members of the community. Please review the Honor Code and the Code
of Conduct, and make a commitment to integrity and personal responsibility. The health
and vitality of our learning community rests on the honor system.

The second section of the Student Handbook presents Student Bill of Rights. The third
section describes various College policies and information about personal safety.
Take the time to review this material.

The final section of the Handbook lists College offices and programs. This section
includes information about how to contact these offices.

Letter from the President

To the Students of Skidmore College,

Greetings and best wishes to you. Whether you are returning for the next stage in
your Skidmore journey or are arriving for your initial experience here as a new student,
please know that you are a valuable member of this very special community. Skidmore
is YOUR College; it is where you belong.

My hope is that, over the coming year, you will take full advantage of what the College
has to offer and experience the many ways in which “Creative Thought Matters.” Our
broad liberal arts curriculum represents virtually the full spectrum of human cultural
and intellectual accomplishment. Explore it! Learn how the disciplines represented
here interrogate the world – how they ask and answer questions, and how they relate
to one another. Learn from the pervasive presence of the visual and performing arts
throughout our campus. Join – and contribute to – student organizations (especially
those dedicated to making a positive difference in the Skidmore community), in the
Saratoga region, or in the world at large. Discover your own cause, your own way of
leaving the world a better place than you found it. Participate in a sport, either
as a member of a varsity, club, or intramural team or as an individual seeking to
enhance your own health and wellness. And be sure to take advantage of our setting
in the vibrant small city of Saratoga Springs and our proximity to the unparalleled
opportunities afforded by the Adirondacks.

Seize the opportunity to get to know your Skidmore professors. These teacher-scholars
are here to share their expertise – indeed, their passion – for their disciplines
that has led them to choose the life of a college professor. They write scholarly
books and articles; they author acclaimed novels and books of poetry; they create
lasting works of art. In doing so, they contribute to national and international conversations
that advance human knowledge. They want to include you in those conversations as well:
to engage you in your own search for knowledge and help you see connections across
the disciplines, to prepare you to make your own contribution as a novelist, scientist,
historian, business or political leader, or educator in your own right.

Get to know one another. Your fellow students will become friends you will cherish
for a lifetime, but only if you take the time to know them for the individuals they
are. As we work on becoming a more diverse and inclusive community, one that is open
to the many ways of constructing a human life, do your own part to stretch yourself
– to go beyond the boundaries of your personal history. Reach out to someone whose
experiences may have been different from your own, and get to know her or him as a
friend. Take responsibility for your own actions, and look out for one another. Above
all, approach one another in a spirit of respect: expect respect from others; give
your respect to them. The Skidmore Honor Code sets out your basic obligations as members
of this academic community. It is a privilege to be at Skidmore, not a right. Show
that you understand the responsibilities entailed by this privilege by taking our
values to heart – not just during your brief sojourn here but as a foundation for
your entire life as a Skidmore graduate.

Marie and I want to get to know you as well. We look forward to meeting you on campus,
at a play, at a Fireside Chat, or open President's office hours, at an athletic contest,
at a lecture, or just hanging out in the dining hall.

Eleanor Roosevelt once advised, "Do something every day that scares you." I would
say it this way: Do something every day that challenges you, something that takes
you out of your comfort zone. Let Skidmore help you take one more step on your journey
toward becoming the person you most want to become.